An Irish police detective was shot dead after an attempted robbery near Dundalk, County Louth. a few miles from the Irish border on Friday night in a crime that has shocked the nation. It is 1996 since such a similar killing took place.

He was named as Detective Garda Adrian Donohue who was on escort duty for a large consignment of money leaving a local credit union to be placed in a bank. He was married with three children. His wife and brother are also in the Irish police force known as the Gardai.

He died after a botched robbery attempt when four armed men attempted to hijack the van containing the money. Detective Donohoe approached the men, shots were fired and Detective Donohue was hit in the head. He died of his wounds.

"Detective Garda Donohoe died as a result of injuries sustained in the course of his duty following a shooting incident in Dundalk.

"At this time my thoughts and prayers and those of the entire force are with the family, friends and close colleagues of Adrian."

Local Sinn Fein councillor Jim Loughran described him as a quiet, decent family man.

"I just spoke to him last week on the street in town. I can't believe this has happened," he said.

Eighty-three Irish police have died in the line of duty since the force was formed in 1922, the vast majority during the early years and during the Northern troubles. Deaths in recent years have been extremely rare. Not since the murder of Garda Jerry McCabe in 1996 in Limerick by an IRA gang has a garda been shot while protecting a bank transfer.